Originally designed in 1962 by Castiglioni, the Arco lamp was a design breakthough, providing overhead lighting without the need for a ceiling light fixture. The Arco lamp is a retro icon with copies now being made at a frantic rate as the demand is building once again.

The Arco floor lamp was designed as a versatile lighting unit that could be anchored in one spot, but provide overhead lighting in many other parts of the room. The lamp was inspired by the way street lighting was structured and is a convenient way to make the most use of space.

The uses for the retro Arco lamp are obviously widely varied but the image that comes most readily to mind is as a reading lamp that can be positioned perfectly to provide the best lighting for the eyes. These kinds of lamps have been adapted into more modern designs but the same basic concept has been kept faithfully over the years.

The look of the retro table lamps reflect the use of eclectic materials. We will first take a look at the various types of lamp shades that you might come across as you look for the type of retro table lamp that suits the den, bedroom or lounge that you might be redesigning.

Retro Table Lampshade Types

Tiered Lampshades

They are also known as the “double decker,” “triple decker,” and “birthday cake” lampshade styles. The regular two-tier is an appropriate replacement lampshade on most mid-century lamp designs. The reverse (or “upside-down”) two-tier lampshade is especially suited to retro/modern, atomic, and tiki lamps, and on many Danish Modern and retro-influenced contemporary lamps as well.

Atomic Tiered Lampshades

Atomic tiered lampshades are appropriate for the wilder fifites atomic, Jetsons, googie, biomorphic,and tiki lamps. The atomic three-tier shades also make great hanging lamps.

Cone Lampshades

Cone lamp shades are possibly the most common types of retro lamp shade that was made and used during the 1950s and 1960s. Certainly its the type of lamp shade that I remember seeing the most often, both in my parent’s home and their friends. The cone lamp shade can either be a simple plain design with a plain color, or it can be funked up with a patterned print or trimmed with fringing or other popular accessories. Cone lamp shades were just as effective for desk lamps as they were for the larger floor lamps and often made a design statement. More information about these types of lampshades can be found at Lamp Shades Central.

Drum Lampshades

The drum lamp shade was similar to the cone lamp shade except that rather than tapering from a large opening at the bottom to a narrower opening at the top, the drum lamp shade maintained a cylyndrical uniformity in its size. The drum shaped lamp shade was a popular floor lamp design in retro style and was also used as a ceiling hanging lamp shade too.

Glass Lampshades

Glass lamp shades were a more understated type of lamp shade that were also more popularly used as ceiling light fixtures. The glass light shade features either a bubbled surface or a patterned segmented design. Whether used as a floor lamp or as a ceiling fixture, the glass lamp shade spoke of a refined elegance in taste.

The kinds of lamp shades used to make retro table lamps are repeated in the design of retro floor lamps and it is a good idea that once you’ve bought your retro table lamps you hop over and pick up a floor lamp to match.

Retro floor lamps are not only distinctive by the style of the lamp stand, but also by the look of the retro lamp shade that tops it. The retro look featured all styles of lamp stand materials that invariably made use of depth rather than straight lines.

From the cone shape lamp shade on a brushed nickel lamp stand to the space-age chrome spheres sitting on an adjustable lamp stand, the diversity of retro fashion runs right through the manufacture of lamps.

Find retro floor lamps for your next interior design project by viewing the retro designs displayed here. This selection is only a glimpse of the vast array of designs that are actually available. Many of the retro floor lamps that are available are influenced by the Eames era, a very important part of American design and certainly a look that is actively pursued today.

Once you have had a look at the various floor lamps available you might want to discover the range of retro table lamps that will complement them.

Before we delve into the world of retro lamps it will first be worthwhile answering the question that reaches the lips of many people immediately they are confronted with the word “retro”. What exactly is retro?

The Retro style refers to any furniture that was made in the 1950s, 60s or 70s. It was during this time that the modern era was beginning to take off and there were many innovations and fashion styles that were being tried out using brand new materials such as fiberglass and lucite. Retro pieces these days reflect that rather experimental time with the distinctive plastics and glass pieces.

Melamine was a particularly popular product during this time, billed as practically unbreakable it replaced most ceramic products. If you find a melamine cup, saucer, plate or lamp then you’ve found yourself a piece of retro fashion.

The kinds of retro lamps and lights that were distinctive of the era included Atomic table lamps, pendant lampshades, Tiffany lamps and the very popular ball lampshades. The lighting furnishings in the 1960s and 70s were influenced by the move into outer space and some of the lamps and lampshades are obviously influenced by developments that took place as part of the space race.

We will look at some of the more distinctive retro lamps and lights soon.

One of the pieces that cannot be overlooked as typically retro as well as culturally significant for the time is the lava lamp. The lava lamp was first introduced to the British market in the early 1960s where it was largely ignored until the psychedelic era hit. From this time it was essential to own one if you were going to be taken seriously as a part of the hippie movement. These days the lava lamp is making yet another return to popularity.

Retro lamps followed the rest of the retro fashion movement in that the straight lines of the earlier art deco era were replaced with more sleek and curving lines. Retro is bold and takes chances without regard to how it looks, it’s a fun style and that’s probably why you often hear the word funky used to describe it. Whether decorating your living room, bedroom or lounge room in the retro style, there are some specific lamps to complement the layout.

View the page displaying retro table lamps and the page displaying retro floor lamps.